Delaware issues updated fish consumption advisory

Wednesday

Oct 23, 2013 at 2:18 PM

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Department of Health and Social Services' Division of Public Health updated the fish consumption advisory today for fish caught in the tidal Delaware River.

Staff Reports

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Department of Health and Social Services' Division of Public Health updated the fish consumption advisory today for fish caught in the tidal Delaware River.

The updated advisory is a result of analysis of chemical contaminants in fish caught in the tidal Delaware River and elsewhere throughout the state. For the general adult population, the current advice has been changed from “eat no finfish caught in the tidal Delaware River north of the C&D Canal” to “eat no more than one eight ounce meal of finfish per year,” while retaining the “do not eat” advice for women of childbearing age and young children.

“This updated advisory in the tidal Delaware River is a very positive sign that water quality is improving and that our efforts, especially during the past few years, are working,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara.

People who choose to eat species under advisories can take steps to reduce exposure. Contaminants tend to concentrate in the fatty tissue, so proper cleaning and cooking techniques can significantly reduce levels of PCBs, dioxins, chlorinated pesticides and other organic chemicals. Larger fish of a given species will likely have higher concentrations. To reduce your risks of ingesting these chemical contaminants:

- Remove all skin

- Slice off fat belly meat along the bottom of the fish

- Cut away any fat above the fish's backbone

- Cut away the V-shaped wedge of fat along the lateral line on each side of the fish

- Bake or broil trimmed fish on a rack or grill so some of the remaining fat drips away

- Discard any drippings. Do not eat drippings or use them for cooking other foods.

For more information: fw.delaware.gov/Fisheries/Pages/Advisories.aspx.